Does A 5w Solar Panel Need A Regulator. So using the above example for an mppt regulator you will need one that can handle more than 20 8a maximum current and 18v maximum solar input voltage. Generally there is no need for a charge controller with the small maintenance or trickle charge panels such as the 1 to 5 watt panels. As a general rule panels that produce less than 1 5 of a battery s rated capacity in amp hours don t require regulation.
So using the above example for an mppt regulator you will need one that can handle more than 20 8a maximum current and 18v maximum solar input voltage. In doing so the battery pulls the solar panel down to its voltage let s take a typical 12 5 volts for the battery voltage.
This solar charge regulator protects and regulates the charge of a 12 volt storage battery using solar panels.
If you are connecting a large number of panels in series creating a high voltage take special care to ensure that this is within the mppt s maximum input voltage window. In conclusion a solar panel regulator is just a switch that regulates the current and voltage coming going into the battery from the solar panel. Put simply solar voltage regulators do this by basically disconnecting the solar panels from the battery. Charging your batteries with a solar panel is a great way to use clean renewable energy.
